Pitchers lay the foundation for daily fantasy baseball teams. So it's not coincidental they have the highest salaries in FanDuel contests. Of course, it's possible to overcome a bad outing from a starter, but it's markedly easier to cash in contests with a good or excellent start.
Simply nailing your pitcher can cover up for a miss or two among your hitter selections. Thankfully, pitchers are less volatile to project than their hitting counterparts. First, pitcher skills such as walk rate and strikeout rate help separate the genuinely talented pitchers from their lesser peers. In addition, park factors and the offensive strength of the opponent are integral considerations for picking your FanDuel pitchers.
Weighing the importance of a pitcher's skill, park factors, opponent, and accounting for their salary is the game within the game on FanDuel. This piece is your home for my favorite pitcher picks for FanDuel's main slate every day. So, let's get to today's top hurlers.
High-Salaried Play
Chris Bassitt, New York Mets
vs. Colorado Rockies
FanDuel Salary: $10,400
Chris Bassitt has been a monster at home in his first year with the New York Mets, and the Colorado Rockies have been a mess on the road. So, it's a match made in heaven tonight.
First, according to FanGraphs, Bassitt has twirled a sparkling 2.55 ERA, 3.17 xFIP, 1.02 WHIP, 5.5 percent walk rate, and 26.0 percent strikeout rate in 77 and 2/3 innings at Citi Field this season.
Second, the Rockies are 26th in wRC+ (80) on the road. So, again, Bassitt's excellence at home dovetails perfectly with Colorado's road woes.
As a result, Bassitt is my favorite pitcher tonight -- especially in cash games.
Finally, the betting info is ideal. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Mets are -335, and the game's total is a non-threatening 7.5 runs.
High-Salaried Pivot
Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves
at St. Louis Cardinals
FanDuel Salary: $10,000
Sometimes, you must embrace risks to chase a sky-high ceiling. That's precisely the case for using Spencer Strider tonight. It's essentially an indestructible force meeting an immovable object tonight in Strider's battle against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Strider has been sensational as a starter this season. In 15 starts spanning 76 and 1/3 innings, Strider has had a 3.18 ERA, 2.44 xFIP, 2.57 SIERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 36.8 percent strikeout rate.
Yet, the Red Birds are a significant roadblock tonight. St. Louis is tied for sixth in wRC+ (112) against right-handed pitchers this year. Additionally, they've been on fire lately, owning MLB's highest wRC+ (148) since the MLB trade deadline on August 2nd.
Again, Strider's an elite young hurler, and the Cards have a scalding-hot offense. So, get your popcorn ready. Moreover, consider firing some bullets on Strider in tournaments, and draw encouragement from FanDuel Sportsbook listing the Atlanta Braves as -142 favorites and the game's total at 7.5 runs.
GPP Dart
Bailey Falter, Philadelphia Phillies
vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
FanDuel Salary: $6,200
It's like deja vu.
Almost a month ago, I suggested using Bailey Falter against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 25-year-old lefty rewarded my confidence by spinning a quality start, allowing only two runs on five hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts. He's since made two starts in Triple-A and spun another quality start in The Show, allowing only one run on two hits, two walks, and three strikeouts in six innings to the Mets on August 20.
Unfortunately, Falter hasn't been flawless this year. But, he's flashed potential. That's good enough for me in a drool-inducing rematch with the Pirates. Pittsburgh is 28th in wRC+ (81) against lefties. Additionally, they've struck out at the second-highest rate (26.2 percent) against them.
Therefore, I love casting a dart in Falter's direction in GPPs. At Falter's puny salary, gamers can jam a bevy of stud hitters into their lineup around Falter.
Joshua Shepardson is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Joshua Shepardson also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username bchad50. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.